Pro-life atheists

[FlyingNarwhal]

When does human life begin? If life begins early what is the greater argument, right to life or personal autonomy?

There are many different points in foetal development which could be considered. Let's start with the ones that are used in UK abortion law. In purely medical terms, 'life' begins ~18/19 weeks (when 'voluntary' movement is possible). 'Viability' comes when Sensory development completes ~week 23/24 with the full development of the nervous system. This is where abortion laws in the UK currently set limits: 'late term' is defined as 19 weeks+ with no elective abortions allowed after week 24. Only one premature birth in the UK has ever survived before week 24 and that baby was 23.5 weeks old.

However medical arguments have been made for 'life' beginning as early as ~week 6 with the development of neural hemispheres and the first brain wave activity. The end of the first trimester (13 weeks) also has its merits (most organs are developed by that stage).

From the little research I just did, this is what I came up with for week 10:

The embryo has become a fetus. His vital organs – such as kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver – are starting to function. Tiny fingernails and toenails are forming.

http://www.babycenter.com/0_fetal-develo...0357636.bc

Now we declare people legally dead when their brain no longer functions, so I don't think I can find it unreasonable that life may begin at week 10 if that is when the brain starts to function. You said some have argued week 6, so there is the possibility that it could begin that early too.

I guess my issue with current abortion laws is that they don't seem to be drafted with a clear definition of when life begins. You said that the U.K. considers the fetus a person when it can be potentially born and live. But again that's not based on a definition of when life begins, it's based on our medical technology. 500 years ago a child born at 24 weeks probably had a much lower rate of survival then they do now.

The arguments which suggest conception as the start of life have no medical foundation.

I completely agree with that.

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So I guess unless anyone has any good reasons as to why life begins later than week 10, I think for me it comes down to two options. Either that is the line that is drawn as far as a time frame goes for getting an abortion, or we have to ask the question: What has greater merit, right to life or personal autonomy?